All-Printed Electrically Driven Lighting via Electrochemiluminescence

Abstract

Electrochemiluminescence (ECL) has attracted significant attention as a promising light-emitting technology owing to its simple configuration and solution processability. ECL has wide applications in biological and chemical sensors, lighting, and displays. ECL lighting devices are fabricated as sandwiched structures with a transparent electrode on top, which limits their widespread adoption. Intricate structures with high precision and customizable designs can be directly fabricated using 3D printing. However, 3D printing of ECL devices is challenging because of poor printability and structural integrity of ECL luminophore inks. Here, all-printed electrically driven lighting is demonstrated using the direct ink writing method. The ECL reactive layer and electrodes are directly printed using a side-by-side electrode configuration. A 3D printable ECL ink is developed by incorporating silica nanoparticles as rheological modifiers to realize well-defined patterns with high structural integrity. Graphene is introduced on Ag multilayer electrodes to embrace both the electrical conductivity and electrochemical stability for efficient ECL operation. This all-printing approach allows the fabrication of ECL devices with complex designs, such as combs and spirals. Moreover, it facilitates seamless printing on various substrate materials, making this technology an asset in the fields of biology, chemistry, and electronics.